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Banana Bread with Chocolate Chip Streusel

If you look here, here, and here, you could easily conclude that I am a lover of all things banana bread. And you would be right. I do love this humble loaf and am always up for trying yet another banana bread recipe. I cannot resist the perfume-y moistness the bananas give the cake. It’s also a fantastic way to use bananas that have been sitting on the dining room table, fast moving past their prime. If you are part of a small household, and bananas come in big bunches, you will know what I mean. With a new member on board though, perhaps I can look forward to the day when we won’t always end up with a few rotten bananas. Which is not to say that I will ever stop letting some go “bad” for my bread 🙂

Now, you may not be up for reading yet another banana bread recipe over here but the fact of the matter is, and I might as well admit it now and get it out of the way, I will most likely continue trying all manners of banana bread recipes, and posting them in this space (unless of course it was totally heinous then you can be sure nobody would hear of it). I hope you don’t mind 🙂

This recipe is from Tessa Kiros’ book Apples for Jam, one of my very favorite cookbooks just because it is such a beautiful book written in such a lovely way. It’s a book I tucked into bed with me many times when I was pregnant. More than any pregnancy or baby book, Apples for Jam, with Tessa’s lyrical snippets from her childhood and that of her two (adorable!) daughters, would keep my pre-delivery jitters at bay much more than any account of “what to expect”. I still look over its pages and dream of the good things I want to make for (and with!) Little C someday.

– Make your streusel: Mix sugar and flour together. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Set aside in a cool place where the butter will not melt while you get on with your batter (I stick mine in the fridge).– Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas.– Add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to the mixture and stir until everything is mixed well. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until just incorporated and smooth.– Mix baking soda into the warm milk and mix this into the batter.– Scrape the batter into a loaf tin that’s been buttered and bake for about 50 minutes in an 180C oven, or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Tessa’s recipe is for just the cake. I added the same streusel topping I used here, adding chocolate chips to the mix just because I had them around…although who really needs a reason to add chocolate to cake? I certainly don’t 🙂

Would you call it… The most important cookbook of your life?! 😉 (obviously I want you to check out my giveaway…) Anyway, you have a knack for making already great recipes even better. I just had four desserts today but I still would like a big slice of this!

Made your recipe the day you posted it and we are still enjoying it today 😉 (I had two pieces as my lunch!) Delicious! It's a bit dense but still love it and because it's not to light and airy I think I might try making additional streusel and then adding it into the cake so there is streusel inside (in swirls) and on top like my favorite coffee cake recipe. Thanks for posting! I do enjoy your blog!

We all talk about our cookbook addictions but your story about going to be pregnant has got to be one of the best yet. A cookbook read to keep pre-delivery jitters at bay … that's beautiful.I'm sure this will be a wonderful banana bread to share with your little one sooner than you think!Happy Days Joey!!

Good Evening,We are Marketing students from the Ateneo and we are trying to get interviews with all the famous chefs, restaurant owners and food bloggers/critics in Manila for our project on gourmet mushrooms. We are creating a mock-up business plan for a new way to recycle urban wastes (used coffee grounds) by using that as substrates in producing Oyster Mushrooms. We would really appreciate your insights regarding the tastes of Filipinos now â•„ especially regarding foods with mushrooms. We would really appreciate it if you could grant us an interview (even over the phone or through email would be great if you are too busy).The first part of our marketing paper is due this coming Thursday, so we hope we can get in touch with you before that time.Thank you very much for taking the time to read our letter!

My sister and I have been making this for the nth time, we also start selling this and it was always a hit. Now if we want to try something new we always turn to your site. Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes! ; )